Gym - Bulking while in IB - possible?

No, it's actually part of your contract that you are only allowed to do calisthenics and get ripped as opposed to bulking.  Gotta read the fine print, bro.

You won’t have the time due to all the long hours. That’s the trade off.

Yes, just gotta be proactive. Workouts at 4/5am. Meal prep all meals for the week. You’ll be good

Hugh Myron

Thomas Pynchon

onebagger

I seem to remember these guys are all lifting junkies

My colleague tried bulking, although he is a bit more senior and has a tiny bit more time. He was bigger than before, but he gained muscle and a decent amount of fat as well.

its possible to bulk on the diet side (altho might not be clean bulk) but ur real problem will actually be finding time to workout CONSISTENTLY. i promise u waking up at 5/6 am to workout from going to sleep at 2 am cannot last everyday, and going to the gym at 10-11 pm after a day of work + sleep deprivation is not the same after a day at uni

Imma keep it real with you - the answer is no its not possible as a 1st year analyst. Barely possible as a 2nd year checked out analyst.

A great goal is just to maintain / keep your body lean and more toned as the above ppl have mentioned how its easy to add fat in banking. If you didn't lift in College when you had all the spare time in the world, you certainly won't find the time 5-6x per week consistently. 

bulking - easy, cutting - problematic (cause you're sitting all day)

So I'm a big lifter and during my IB days, it was frankly impossible to try and lift during the work week. That said, I found a good regiment that worked for my schedule. You essentially do your lifting splits Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...Friday in the evening (assuming you can get out at a decent time), Saturday morning, and Sunday morning. You need to make these splits unlike the traditional ones (push, pull, legs). Each lifting day has to be a mix of compound muscle movements so that you are getting enough frequency. I essentially took the 3-day split and mixed it all together, with the caveat that I never DL same day as squat. I really liked this because I didn't have to worry / get anxious about not being able to workout during the week. If I did have time during the week, I would go to an Orange Theory / Barry's, etc. or hop on a bike for some interval training. In addition, focus on eating high carb foods on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then switch to high fat / low carb M-TH. You'll need to optimize for protein intake, but that can be supported by protein shakes (whey isolate) at lunch. Also, don't eat huge meals during lunch - you only need 300-500 calories + whey isolate. Leave big meals for the evening and try to just stay at maintenance weight unless you have are already suffered the IB first fifteen.

You can def bulk if you manage to squish in a quick heavy set workout. You just would still be eating a little above your maintaince calories since you’re not moving around so much. So in reality, you cant really bulk unless you can squeeze a heavy set everyday or else you’ll just gain fat. And your calorie intake wouldn’t be much different than what you’re eating rn.

It’s possible, but I wouldn’t do it. Probably have to do some form of carb cycling to keep a lean bulk. But then your energy levels aren’t consistent.

Since you're new to lifting, you'll get some substantial noob gains pretty quickly from just working out and eating a decent amount of protein. But I imagine it'll be hard to build muscle after that initial period.

Nope sorry man - name of the game is survival. I'd try to eat as healthy as possible and workout to destress. This job will take up your life. 

I am in a similar position and aim for the following:

Monday through Thursday I aim to do pushups on at least two occasions. These can be done at home anytime you have downtime for like 15-30 min, and it is possible to make them challenging enough for most people. Focus on using full range of motion (lockout in top position, touch the ground with the chest in the bottom position), on lowering yourself in a controlled fashion (2-3 second lowering/eccentric phase) and on 'pushing' your hands towards the center of your chest while doing reps - this enhances stress on the chest and makes reps more challenging. You can also elevate your feet on your bed or whatever to make it even more challenging.

Then on Friday through Sunday you can aim for a couple of workouts at the gym focusing on the remainder of your body. Eg. on Friday and Sunday nights you can do squats, Romanian deadlifts, pullups, rows and curls. Should take like 1-1.5 hours for a really good workout, and you should be able to find time for this on these days.

Not a *true* bulk but you’ll be able to put on some muscle, especially since you’re a beginner. Every single workout (MAX 3x a week, more likely 1x on Saturdays), you should squat, bench, and deadlift. That’s it. Until you’re repping 225 on all these lifts don’t even think about doing bicep curls or any other ancillary exercise that doesn’t activate a ton of your body and your CNS.

People saying they didn't have time to build muscle in IB are just lying to themselves/aren't motivated enough. Putting on real muscle is more diet than lifting 10x a week. Putting in 5x at gym a week at 1 hour a gym session (including weekends) is doable. Controlling your diet is more self discipline than anything - you have the benefit of a large seamless budget...use it wisely on protein and lower carbs...Buy for lunch on your seamless budget too if you want to save money / eat healthy.

At the end of the day, being an analyst is stressful but it's your own self-discipline that will either screw you or benefit you.    

Just take some tren buddy

OP, ignore people telling you it’s not possible to make gains as an analyst. Your routine won’t be optimal due to work demands, but don’t let perfect get in the way of good. I would recommend eating at maintenance and trying to get in the gym 3x a week or whenever you feel adequately rested. The feeling of watching your body deteriorate takes a significant toll on your psyche, and inversely making small gains feels like a huge win. I went through a dark period for a few months and one of the things that saved me was getting back in the gym. 

First thing to address is that weight lifting generally does not always equal bulking. If this is your first foray into weight training or its been a while since you've tossed around a weight bar then it should actually be fairly easy for you to put on some quality muscle is a short period of time. Additionally, seems like there are a lot of people on here projecting their own inadequacies telling you that such a feat is not possible, well it's possible as long as you are dedicated and willing to put in the work. In my experience the only way to stay on a consistent schedule is to workout in the morning (6 or 7am), too many variable trying to workout in the evening. I've been on a consistent workout schedule my entire time in banking and have only had to ever skip a handful of workouts to date so it's possible if you stay disciplined. It's also helpful to have a few short workouts in you back pocket in the event of an early morning meeting or something and you only have time for a short workout, skipping your morning workout and telling yourself you'll be able to make up for it in the evening almost never works out. For context, I'm 6'2" 200lbs, just so there is no confusion that I'm some cardio bunny who only has time for a run or spin class.

Edit: Also, if you haven't already, start working out. Start waking up early and get you body on a schedule before hitting the desk, it will be a lot easier to roll into the schedule that way.

So if I am reading your OP correctly, you've not lifted weights for years and are planning to essentially pick up a new hobby as you start your IB analyst stint? Even if you start now, it's unlikely you'll have the motivation to maintain a regular lifting schedule once you're fully ramped up with work. Even for those of us who are highly motivated it is extremely challenging - when I was an IB analyst, I was able to commit to 3x/week during IB, and I was getting up fairly early to go to the gym prior to work. It's certainly doable for people for whom lifting was a large part of their life for a long time leading up to IB and who know how to prioritize it, but for a newbie and freshly minted IB analyst, I think this will be one of the first things you choose to forego in favor of extra sleep. That said hopefully you prove me wrong and take it up and stay committed. However, my answer is entirely different than the typical response I'd give to someone who's been lifting since freshman year of high school. What I think would be best if you are simply generally interested in improving your overall physical wellness while also driving some positive changes in your physique, is to join some workout classes like Barry's or equivalent and try to go 1-2x a week with other members of your analyst class. This will add a social aspect so you can hold each other accountable to go plus these classes are typically brief enough where it shouldn't interfere with sleep too much. If you do decide to begin a weightlifting regimen, focus on 3x/week full-body workout based mostly on barbell movements. I'd recommend a basic linear progression such as StrongLifts 5x5. Do not listen to anyone who tells you to do some bro split as a complete beginner. If you're eating & sleeping enough (lol) and focusing on compound movements, you'll gain quite some mass from noob gains but it'll slow down dramatically after the first few months. Good luck!

Perfect time to bulk honestly and put on size. You can use your meal allowance to get high-calorie foods and there are usually always snacks in the office to hit a calorie surplus, which is harder than you'd think. Just need to make sure you are lifting heavy and building muscle, not just fat. 

Best NYC seamless restaurants for building muscle? Currently enjoying Stamina Juice Bar & Grill as well as Muscle Maker. 

Time for another onebagger rant™

Let me break down the holy trinity of fitness - Diet, Rest, and Exercise - in the context of the IBD grind. I've had varying degrees of success in fitness since starting my finance career, but have gone from 200 lbs to 170 lbs and back to 200 lbs as a 5'10" guy on bulk/cut cycles. Bulking can be very dangerous. It's 100x easier to add 'mass' than it is to remove it. I'd echo other comments and say avoid bulking as an analyst. It will build bad eating habits that are impossible to shake when you're working 80-100hr weeks. 

Diet

This has always been where I struggle most. You can have the best workout routine and remain incredibly disciplined and get your 8 hours a night but make 0 progress if your diet isn't dialed in. In IB it is difficult to stay disciplined here. The key will be to build habits. I find Intermittent Fasting (eating only during an 8 hour window every 24 hours) to be hugely helpful here - I skip breakfast and eat between 12-8PM. It'll be tough not to get junk/stress food as an analyst and most of your peers will be going straight for it. You mention you want to bulk - if you have no experience in bulking/cutting cycles this can be dangerous. I would echo what other posters have said: do not attempt to bulk while in IB.

Download MyFitnessPal and track your meals as best you can. Your key research terms are TDEE and Macronutrients. Focus on staying close to your TDEE in terms of caloric intake, and prioritize protein and good fats over carbs. Avoid simple/starchy carbs wherever possible. I had the most success cutting on a 40/40/20 P/F/C split but your mileage may vary. What made me the most successful at maintaining good shape and strength (and later successfully cutting) as an analyst was meal-prepping. Every Sunday I'd make my lunches for the week, and since I was running 8/16 intermittent fasting, I could get away with cheekier dinners without blowing up my caloric/macronutrient balance.

There are loads of meal-plan templates out there and I strongly suggest meal-prepping and tracking combined with IF as an analyst, regardless of whether or not you want to add/lose mass. If you want to hear about my specific meal plan LMK and I can provide a sample of what I ate for lunch (spoiler: it was the same thing every day and involved a lot of vegetables).

Consider ordering a Booster Juice or a Freshii salad or something healthier for your evening meals. Consider keeping quality snack foods (e.g. almonds, in moderation) at your desk during the day.

Rest

This means both sleep (hugely important for changing body comp in any direction) and "rest" from working out - if you're going hard every single day you can overtrain yourself, make no gains and fry your CNS. This is very hard as a banker. There will be days / weeks where you average 4/5/6 hours a night which makes it difficult to progress in mass gaining and makes you more prone to cheating on a cutting meal plan. Unfortunately there is no secret sauce here other than to stay disciplined and prioritize your sleep. Your analyst hours will more than likely make it impossible for you to find the time to overtrain, but keep an eye out for that as well. I know many folks who went HAM on their routines and gave themselves injuries and regressed completely.

Exercise

If you've never worked out before, I'd recommend a program similar to Starting Strength - focus on heavy compounds (squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows) for 5x5 and 5x3 rep/set schemes to build base strength and add mass. You can actually run these programs for a long time and have great results if you're untrained. I mentioned above that you will be highly time constrained due to your hours so sticking to a rigid program will be very tough. Just try to hit 3 days a week in the gym if possible. Take it whenever you can - most of my workout sessions were on Friday/Saturday/Sunday.

I believe that every man, woman, and child interested in working out to look/feel better and get stronger should include the following movements in a routine:

Pull-ups; Dips; Squats; Deadlifts; Overhead Press; Rows

If you literally only do these movements you will grow and get stronger. You can and should add ancillary movements like curls or tricep extensions. Break routine down by muscle group. My personal favorite scheme was push/pull - alternating heavy and light days of pushing motions (squat, overhead press, bench press, etc.) and pulling motions (pull-up, deadlift, row, etc.).

Don't ignore cardio. Try to get moving every day, regardless of your routine, even if it's just a 30 minute walk around the block every evening. I had the most success cutting by incorporating HIIT (high intensity interval training) in the form of treadmill sprints in the mornings before work (schedule and sleep permitting). 

A few final tips and comments:

Don't confuse motivation with discipline. Sounds like you already have motivation. Work on discipline - creating a plan and sticking to it. There will be multiple day stretches where you're grinding too hard to hit the gym or go for a run/swim/bike/etc. - that is totally fine. Don't beat yourself up over that. Remember to take it whenever you can. Weekend days should always have some level of activity. 

Talk to your colleagues and superiors about fitness and get a feel for whether or not it'd be acceptable to take an hour in the evenings to workout. My first job had a gym in the basement and some of us bankers would go down for a 45-60 minute sesh at 5/6/7pm, workload permitting. Was totally acceptable, a good way to bond with colleagues, and great for staying in shape.

It's very easy to let yourself go. I have recently done exactly that and am in the worst shape of my life. It becomes a vicious cycle of being too tired and cranky to exercise, and using food as a stress-relief mechanism. Eating releases dopamine, which can be very dangerous as a strung-out analyst. Stay disciplined. It's very easy to put on a few pounds per quarter and wake-up one morning with a spare tire and tiddies.

It's very hard to stay disciplined and fit, but doing so will keep you better focused mentally and make you better at your job. 

If you can find a gym buddy who works on the floor or in a similar role elsewhere it can be invaluable. 

If you have space and $, a home gym setup can be invaluable. Mine is right behind my desk and I can see my computer from my pullup bar/bench/etc. 45 minutes here and there is very easy when WFH and you should take advantage of that - as we return to normal it will often be impossible to skip out 45 minutes for a workout during the day.

Good luck.

When I have insane weeks (100+ hours w/o the IBD downtime) I can still get a few lifts in mid week. The trick is to go in morning before 9 AM and do one or two major lifts / while having your morning gym routine on point. Mornings tend to be pretty protected (ie; if you had a late night, you are often expected to be commuting or sleeping still), just don't mention to co-workers that you worked out.  

Ie; I can get to the gym and to the office in around 45 minutes with shower supersetting squats and pull-ups or supersetting dips / bench vs. 20 or so minutes showering and getting ready at home.   

When you are less busy you can crush the full workouts.